AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF ETHICAL CONDUCT of field research is for the researcher to have an appropriate relationship with the legitimate gatekeepers of the field site. This paper describes our experiences of obtaining approval from regulatory authorities in Thailand for field research on Burmese migrants, and discusses the nature and rationale of such government control in Asia and Western countries. It is intended to guide future humanitarian researchers who are planning to study oppressed groups at politically sensitive research sites where regulatory authorities monitor both research sites and research performance. Thailand, like several other Southeast Asian countries, operates a permit system for foreign researchers. This permit system is designed to promote research activities in Thailand so that the results can be used to further the country's development, and to enhance the cooperation and collaboration between Thai and foreign researchers providing opportunities for the exchange of knowledge, technical expertise, and experience. This control of foreign researchers is not prohibitive; foreign humanitarian researchers can organize research and advance the welfare of targeted oppressed populations in cooperation with government agencies.
ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH-RELATED research on politically oppressed migrant populations differ in significant ways from community health research in other contexts. The United Nations has set goals for such research. The health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were investigated in communities ("clusters") of migrants from Burma living in villages in the Sangkhlaburi District of Thailand, adjacent to the Thai-Burma border. Hunger was experienced regularly in 70% of the households, and 26% of children under 5 years were underweight. Malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS were prevalent. Few households took part in family planning, and there were many large families and disabled children. The health of the migrant populations was compromised by poverty, social exclusion, and under- or unemployment. Stakeholders in discussion groups concurred with the authors that tuberculosis detection and treatment and food production activities were important issues to address in developing projects to improve migrant health. This case study illustrates how the MDGs can be operationally defined.
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